The Perfumer’s Raw Materials: The Complete Guide
There are about 1,000 natural materials available to the perfumer, each year some disappear while others enrich the perfumer’s organ, and about 3,000 synthetic raw materials.
The perfumer chooses, according to their sensitivity, about 1,000 raw materials between natural and synthetic; this is what is called “their cardex”.
Among the natural raw materials available to the perfumer, we will distinguish numerous elements:
Aromatic Notes
Aromatic notes bring a lot of freshness to the fragrance. They are classified into three main groups:
- Lavender notes: lavender, lavandin, thyme, bay leaf.
- Minty notes: spearmint, pennyroyal, mint.
- Anise notes: basil, anise, tarragon.
Flowers
Flowers are part of the raw materials used in perfumes. There are different categories of flowers in perfumery:
1. Spring Flowers, or Green Flowers
Also called “flowers of renewal,” they evoke freshness, spontaneity, and cheerfulness. They consist of green and vegetal notes. Like lily of the valley, lilac, freesia, mock orange, narcissus, daffodil, hyacinth. (Many are reconstitutions made of an assembly of natural raw materials with some synthetic elements).
2. White Flowers: Sensual Flowers
They are also called sensual or narcotic flowers, because they often share a molecule: indole, a natural animal note, contained in these flowers. Like jasmine, tuberose, orange blossom, magnolia, gardenia.
3. Solar Flowers: Exotic Flowers
Solar flowers evoke tropical islands like frangipani, ylang-ylang, tiare flower.
4. Spicy Flowers
Spicy flowers include:
- Carnation: the rebellious flower
- Wallflower: the soft flower
- Immortelle: the flower of the maquis
5. Powdery Flowers
Powdery flowers include:
- Iris: the noble flower
- Mimosa: the flower of the Riviera
- Cassie: the cousin of mimosa
- Violet: the shy flower
- Heliotrope or Heliotropin: the vanilla flower
6. Rare or Atypical Flowers
Among rare or atypical flowers, we will find:
- Reseda: the retro flower
- Champaca: the strange flower
- Broom (Genêt): the honeyed flower
- Pittosporum: the bush flower
- Mahonia: the mysterious flower
- Karo Karounde: the charismatic flower
Fruits
Fruits are part of the raw materials used in perfumery. Some fruits can be used naturally now, while others exist thanks to synthesis, because it is difficult to extract their essence (fruits possess too much water).
Definition of Fruity Notes
Fruits bring a lot of cheerfulness to perfumes and give them a real flavor. In perfumery, fruity notes are very varied, and many types of fruits are used (red fruits, yellow fruits, aqueous fruits, exotic fruits, etc.).
In a perfume, fruity notes can be orchestrated in several ways:
- Either in a fresh, subtle, and unsweetened way, to accompany citrus fruits or fresh flowers, for example.
- Or in such a way as to clearly highlight a gourmand signature.
Good to know: fruity notes should not be confused with hesperidic notes, which are obtained thanks to citrus fruits (cf. Hesperidic facet).
Among the fruits available to the perfumer, we will have:
- Red fruits: raspberry, strawberry, cherry, wild strawberry, blackcurrant, and blackcurrant bud.
- Yellow fruits: peach, plum, apricot.
- Exotic fruits: coconut, mango, pineapple, banana, passion fruit.
- Aqueous fruits: melon, watermelon.
- Juicy fruits: pear and apple, lychee, kiwi.
- Other fruits: fig.
Spices
There are two categories of spices: fresh and warm. Fresh spices act more in top notes, and warm spices in heart and base notes (cf. Heart notes and base notes).
- Fresh spices: cardamom, coriander, pink pepper, timut pepper, ginger, juniper berries.
- Warm spices: nutmeg and mace (its husk), cinnamon bark, peppers, saffron, pimento berries.
Woods
Woods are part of the vegetable raw materials used in the composition of perfumes. In perfumery, woods are actually the bark of trees, or their moss or resin. Many different woods can be used in perfumes, including:
- Sandalwood
- Cedar
- Patchouli
- Vetiver
- Cypress
- Oud wood
- Guaiac wood
- Birch wood
Balms and Resins
Balms and Resins often intervene in the oriental or amber family (cf. The oriental or amber family). They complement vanilla, give mystery to the fragrance. They are also called balsamic notes.
Among balms and resins, one will find notably: myrrh, incense, opopanax, benzoin, balsam of Peru, copaiba balsam.
Animal Notes
Animal Musk
Animal musk is part of the animal raw materials used in perfumery, just like civet, castoreum, ambergris, and hyraceum.
Beeswax
Beeswax is part of the natural raw materials used in perfumery. Honey essential oil does not exist, but perfumers are able to orchestrate the honeyed notes of beeswax with many other facets or olfactory families, and can also compose with an infinite variety of honeyed notes.
Hyraceum
Hyraceum, also called “Africa Stone”, is an animal essence used in perfumery. It is part of the natural animal notes, just like civet, musk, castoreum, and ambergris.
Ambergris
Ambergris is a concretion secreted by the sperm whale, looking like a gray stone. It is rejected by the animal, floats on the surface, to be then harvested. This animal raw material is very rare and therefore very expensive. In no case is the sperm whale killed to recover this material, which is therefore authorized.
